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Half of the 17 MEuro for the airport project comes from the state government, the other half from the tem ARGEMUC, members of which are among others ARAL, BMW, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Linde, Mannesmann Demag, MAN, Neoplan, and Siemens. Safety engineerical support is given by TUEV Bavaria.

Starting in the autumn of 1998 the filling station will supply three long buses and one car circulating on the airport apron. The generation of hydrogen gas by electrolysis is part of the project as well as the worldwide unique robot filling infrastructure. This combination, and the framework of the safety requirements of an airport, make the project unique in the world. It will run until 2000.

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In the first phase which starts now the hydrogen is supplied from waste gas of industrial companies in and around Hamburg. In the second phase is will be generated in Iceland by means of electrolysis from hydropower. The objective of the project is to show how renewable energies, in this case Icelandic hydropower, can be combined with the storage and transport medium hydrogen.

Among the project participants are: Hamburger Gaswerke, Hamburger Hochbahn, Hamburger Sparkasse, Hamburgische Electricitaets-Werke (HEW), and the shipping companies Hermes and Hoyer. The filling station was built by Mannesmann-Demag.

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According to the investigations of the Federal Aviation Authority material fatigue, lightning stroke, shooting down or a collision can be ruled out as cause of the accident. Apparently a fire broke out at the apex of the balloon which caused a separation of the balloon itself and the net over it, carrying also the basket. Net and basked fell about 300 m deep, while the balloon flew away burning. The cause of the fire has not yet been found. The focus of the investigation is now on whether the 500 kW short-wave radio station of Deutsche Welle could be involved. At the moment of the accident the balloon was only 100 m away from it.

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The advantage of the new system in comparison to pure methanol reformers is that it can be based on the existing gasoline infrastructure. The new development thus is a bridge to renewable energies because they help the fuel cell technology to be established faster in the energy market, so that the still too high costs can be reduced.

Of the major US car manufacturers Chrysler has so far announced to be ready to use the new reformer.

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The solar market has an estimated size of about 1 G$, with quickly rising tendency. Shell's production capacities for solar cells in the Netherlands have been extended, and new ones are created at Gelsenkirchen and elsewhere with participation of the company. Biomass is a renewable fuel which is available today, plays already an important role in parts of the world, and will gain competitivity in the future. Investments in other renewable energies, such as wind, will follow. In a press release Shell called the climate changes caused by man one of the greatest problems, which can only be solved by global and long-term measures.

The German car industry has made its homework concerning the reduction of consumption, said the Association of the German Car Industry (VDA). Nevertheless the traffic related CO₂ emissions would not drop by 25 % from 1990 to 2005, as promised. VDA president Gottschalk on 2. December mainly blamed the many traffic jams. Consequently he demanded that the government spend more money for more and better roads. The forecasts of the Federal Environment Agency about the increase of the CO₂ output are for him erroneous and not serious.

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Hans Kolo, spokesman for the fraction in matters of environment, demanded in his speech the decisive support for a field with great perspectives which offers great chances for the economy as well. The former lead of Germany (Bavaria in particular) on fuel cells is gone, and devices must be imported from USA and Canada. He demanded ecologically transparent energy prices, quotas for the production of zero emission vehicles and for the application of renewable energies by the suppliers, more support of demonstration projects, and a leading role of the public sector when buildings and vehicles belonging to it are concerned.

Speaking for DWV chairman Rolf Ewald stressed the leading role of politics for the solution of the energy problem. A subject oriented, conclusive view of the matter must be found, and it must become binding. It must be accompanied by boundary conditions which must be long-term reliable for all involved parties, both the economy and the consumers. The direction must be chosen now, also for the involvement of hydrogen in a future energy mix.

Two representants of DWV had a discussion in the Federal Chancellery on 4. December during which they presented the association and its objectives and submitted a position paper. Because of the importance of the topic the Chancellery would like to be kept informed about the further development and stay in contact with DWV.

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The climate conference of the United Nations in Kyoto led to a compromise which satisfied neither DWV nor anybody else really (see press release). At least CO₂ champion USA did not succeed. President Clinton and the well-known environmentalist Al Gore wanted to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases only on the level of 1990 until 2012. Now 5.2 % have been decided.

The federal government still aims at a reduction of the CO₂ emissions by 25 %. Federal Minister for Environment Merkel stressed the connection between climate and environment politics and new impulses for the economy. The same is done in a bulky White Book of the European Commission which appears this month.

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